The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-15

Democratic City Convention, has
written the following pungent letter
to Hon. Fetter S. HoblitzelI, chair
man of the Democratic Executive
Committee:
OCTOBER 4th, 1887.
Hon. Fetter s. HobHtzelI, Chairman
of the Democratic City Executive
Committee:
DEAR SIR Il herewith hand you
my resignation of the presidency of
the Democratic City Convention. and
trust it is scarcely necessary that l
should state, it is after the most ma
ture consideration that / do so. 1t
would not be just to my friends, nor
to myself, to take SO important a step
without assigning some good and
sufficient reason for so doing. The
Democratic City Convention, of which
/ am president, is body organized.
/ take it, for the management of
party affairs in this city, and, as such
a body, should, by its acts, voice the
sentiment of the whole party. 1t has
become quite clear to my mind that
the City Convention. as at present
constituted. does not represent the
party, but registers simply the de-
crees of few INSCRIPTIONS persons.
The party is in favor of fair elections
and an honest count. 1t is in favor
of placing all elections, be they gen
eral or primary, under the sanction
of a stringent law. How is it with
those who claim to be the party, who
control conventions, and nominate
candidates? How is it, indeed. with
those who control the City Conven.
ton to-day? They have resorted
Systematically to fraudulent methods
to maintain their control and power.
When the bold fight was made in the
City Convention in May last, under
the inspiration of the Crescent Club,
and as the result of Intelligent effort
to secure better condition of things
in party affairs for fair and legalized
primaries. the dominant element in
the convention refused to surround
these elections with such legal safe
guards as would secure for them the
confidence of the honest Democratic
masses. Recent developments have
shOwn-indeed, have proven beyond
queStiOn-that those persons who
have control absolutely of party af-
fairs to-day, and who arrogate to
themselves, and to themselves, alone
the name of the Democratic party,
have. with their agents-often ignor-
ant men-robbed the ballot-5oxes,
perverted the registration lists into
instruments of fraud, and have used
the patronage of the federal, state and
city governments corruptly for the
purpose of perpetuating their hold
upon the party organization, which
they misrepresent and disgrace. For
these reasons / cannot remain Off
cially and prominently connected
with the party organization as it eX-
lists at present. When, however, hon
est methods shall again obtain in the
Democratic organization, and fair
elections shall be conceded; when
the present usurpers shall be swept
out of power, and honest men SUBJ
stituted. then / shall be found in the
foremost ranks of my party, pro-
noting its interests in every possible
way and advocating its principles,
for be it distinctly understood, that
so long as the blood shall course
through my veins l am still, and
ever will be, Democrat.
Very respectfully.
w. BENTON CRISP.
Concerning this important defec-
ton, the american says: "Mr Crisp
claims to be a genuine Democrat, and
for that very reason says he can no
longer countenance the acts and
methods of few self-seeking men,
who have arrogated to themselves all
! the functions of the party, and who